Ford Explorer 2020–present · Maintenance schedule & cost to maintain

The oil-life monitor sets this, never past 10,000 miles or a year. Ford's severe row is 5,000 to 7,500 miles (6,000 to 9,500 in the first 2020 printings) and dusty roads 5,000 miles or 6 months, so 5,000 is the default. 2.3L: 5W-30, 5.2 qt (5.0 qt in the 2025-2026 books). 3.0L: 5W-30, 6.0 qt. 3.3L hybrid: 6.0 qt, 5W-20 through 2024, 5W-30 in the 2025-2026 books. Each engine takes its own filter.

The first and second 2020 printings said 12,500 miles. The third 2020 printing and the 2021-2024 and 2026 books say 20,000 (the 2025 book prints no schedule). For idling and dusty roads Ford gives no shorter number, only inspect frequently and replace as required, so there is no distinct severe interval. The 2026 book adds an inspection at every oil change, a good habit on any year.

The first and second 2020 printings said 18,500 miles. The third printing and the 2021-2024 and 2026 books say 30,000. For idling and dusty or sandy roads Ford's table says inspect frequently and replace as required, with no shorter mileage, so no severe number exists. Through 2024 the 2.3L and 3.0L share one filter and the hybrid takes another. Ford's 2025 and 2026 books give the 2.3L its own.

Not a Ford mileage item. It is event-driven, after new tires or any suspension or steering work, plus a check about once a year. Ford's own book says to have uneven tire wear checked for misalignment before the tires are rotated. New tires or struts without an alignment after them waste part of what you spent.

Not a Ford interval, but a real cost line. Ford's 2020 to 2024 books ask for the same size, load index, speed rating and type as original, naming all-season versus all-terrain as a type change, and the 2026 book keeps the same-size rule. Ford calls for a rotation at every oil change, and every 5,000 miles on dusty roads. Worn struts and a bad alignment both chew tires, so fix those first.

Ford sets a time interval, every 3 years, with no mileage attached and no severe version. Ford's footnote says not to exceed the time, so on a low-mileage car the calendar still decides. The spec is DOT 4 LV (low viscosity), so ask for it by name. Ford notes the job needs special equipment, so treat it as a shop job.

Ford's normal interval is 100,000 miles. Ford's towing and idling tables, and the 2026 book's severe line, say every 60,000 miles, so 60,000 is the default here. Keep 100,000 only for a car that has never towed, idled for long or lived on short trips. The EcoBoosts and the hybrid use different plugs and gaps, so buy by engine.

Wear-based, not a fixed Ford mileage. Ford's schedule inspects the pads, rotors and hoses at every oil change, so replace them when that inspection says so, which comes sooner with towing and stop-and-go driving.

No Ford interval. A generic wear range is 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Worn dampers let the tire bounce off the road, which cups the tread even when the alignment is right, so a car eating tires unevenly needs the dampers checked, not only an alignment. Budget an alignment right after replacing them.

Ford's schedule inspects the half-shaft boots at every oil change, which is the cheap moment to catch a tear. Boots typically last 70,000 to 130,000 miles. A torn boot flings grease onto the brake parts behind the wheel and lets grit into the joint, so a boot caught early is far cheaper than the axle it saves. Clicking on sharp turns means the joint is already worn.

No Ford interval. Typical life is 70,000 to 120,000 miles, closer to 50,000 to 80,000 on rough roads or salted winters, and rubber ages out after 8 to 10 years even on a low-mileage car. Worn bushings let the wheel move out of place under load, so an alignment will not hold. If a fresh alignment keeps drifting, check these before paying for another.

No Ford interval. Mounts wear with age and torque, typically 80,000 to 150,000 miles, sooner on the turbo engines and in stop-and-go driving. A failed mount lets the engine move and loads the other mounts. Clunks into drive or reverse, or idle vibration in gear, are the signs. On a 2020 to 2022, run the VIN for the rear axle bolt recall first, because that defect also clunks from the rear.

Ford publishes a belt schedule: first inspection at 100,000 miles, then at every other oil change until the belts are replaced. Ford's routing diagram shows two belts on the 2.3L, a long one and a short one, so ask for both to be checked.

Ford's interval is 150,000 miles, and its special-conditions tables list no shorter transmission interval, so there is no severe number to default to. The book's worked example still mentions a 30,000-mile fluid change that no table carries. Use Mercon ULV only. If the car shudders or shifts harshly, see the problem list before assuming a fluid change will cure it.

Ford's schedule replaces the belts at 150,000 miles if they have not been replaced in the last 100,000. Belt layout differs by engine, so match the part to your engine.

Ford's first change is at 10 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first, then every 5 years or 100,000 miles. There is no severe version. On hybrids the same line covers the separate motor electronics coolant loop. Use Motorcraft Yellow, the spec every book for this generation lists. Coolant that keeps needing a top-up is a leak, not maintenance.

Batteries fail on a calendar, not an odometer, so load-test from year 3 and replace by year 5 regardless of miles. Ford's 2020 to 2024 books list the same Motorcraft battery, BAGM-48H6-760, for every engine. The 2025 book lists different ones for the 3.0L and the 3.3L, so on a 2025 or 2026 match the label on the old battery. Warranty terms differ by retailer even for one brand.